A sadhvi had in 2002 written an anonymous letter addressed to the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, accusing Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Insan of sexual abuse.

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Manjeet Sehgal

Chandigarh

February 13, 2014

UPDATED: February 13, 2014 09:25 IST

Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Insan

Controversial godman and Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Insan, who is facing rape and murder charges, has told Panchkula court that he is not mentally and physically fit to have sexual intercourse.

"Dera chief told the court that he was not fit to indulge in physical relationships," S.K. Garg Narwana, counsel for Rahim, told mediapersons.

Rahim, who recorded his statement under section 313 of IPC through video conferencing, on Tuesday contended that the allegations levelled him were false and baseless.

A sadhvi had in 2002 written an anonymous letter addressed to the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, accusing the Dera chief of sexual abuse. The Punjab and Haryana High Court took up the matter and ordered a CBI probe into the incident on September 24, 2002.

Rahim Singh is also facing two murder charges. He is accused of murdering a Sirsa-based journalist Ram Chander Chatrapati who had been writing about the Dera's activities. Chatrapati was shot on October 24, 2001 and died on November 21. He was also accused of allegedly killing sect manager Ranjit Singh in July 2002.

According to CBI counsel HPS Verma, Singh has made more than 100 video conference appearances but not a single physical appearance in court, which is mandatory under Section 313 of the Criminal Procedure Code.

Singh had September 16, 2013 filed a plea in the court contending that he was facing threats from Sikh terrorist groups. The Panchkula police, in a separate plea, had said that the gathering of his followers could create a law and order problem and that he should be exempted from personal appearances.